(Washington, D.C.)—The AFL-CIO strongly supports the lawsuit submitted today by the Solidarity Center, Global March Against Child Labour and American Institutes for Research challenging the Department of Labor’s abrupt termination of all international worker rights programs funded through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB).
This legal action is an important step to hold the Trump administration accountable for violating federal law by eliminating programs that combat child labor, forced labor and unsafe working conditions abroad—while also protecting good union jobs and fair competition here at home.
ILAB-funded programs have helped workers form independent unions in Mexico to enforce labor rights in U.S. trade deals like the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), and crack down on child labor in West Africa’s cocoa sector—an industry that directly supplies U.S. chocolate manufacturers. Cutting these programs harms all working people by removing the essential tools that help stop the global race to the bottom in wages and standards.
“When we strengthen labor rights abroad, we protect jobs here at home,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “ILAB ensures that trade partners play by the rules and that no company gets a competitive edge by abusing workers overseas. From garment workers in Bangladesh to autoworkers in Mexico, these programs fight exploitation and level the playing field for America’s workers. Cutting ILAB is not just short-sighted—it’s illegal. The court should act quickly to restore these critical funds.”
For more information and to access court filings, visit solidaritycenter.org.
Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018